The modern day moose has evolved from a prehistoric animal known in Latin as Cervalces Scotti also commonly known as a Stag-Moose. The Stag-Moose became extinct approximately 11,500 years ago close to the end of the Ica Age and was discovered by humans around 1807. The Cervalces Scotti was known to have lived with the modern day moose and may have interacted with humans which could have led to its eventual extinction.
Unlike the modern day moose that lives across the world the Stag-Moose (Cervalces Scotti) was known to mainly live in Canada and North America. This meant they endured long and cold winters which most likely resulted in part of their extinction. As the Stag-Moose lived in one particular area they were all very similar in the way they looked and acted which meant they didn't have any sub-species.
Area with high foliage and frequent rainfall.
Much like the modern day moose, the Stag-Moose frequently visited wetlands and areas with a high amount of foliage (as seen by the picture below). This meant they lived in an area with a large amount of trees and possibly a rainforest which meant there was frequent rainfall. This type of habitat allowed the Stag-Moose to have a good diet and not have to travel far to a river, well or even to find a mate.
ADAPTATIONSSTRUCTURAL ADAPTATIONS
Structural Adaptation 1 - Antlers
Only a male Stag-Moose can grow antlers and they will always drop off during the winter time. The use of antlers gives them an advantage over a predator that poses a threat to their herd. The antlers can grow up to six feet in length and made the Stag-Moose appear bigger than it actually was. Some of the uses of the antlers are for defence and to attract a female moose to mate with them by fighting with another male moose.
The antlers could have arisen due to the fact that the moose needed to pull down trees and the only way in which they would be able to do that would be to have antlers that would assist them.
Structural Adaptation 2 - Hooves
Every species and gender of the Stag-Moose had hooves on each of their feet. Their hooves were very sharp and helped them to kick and expose foliage that may have been covered by snow etc. Their hooves were valuable because without them they might not have been able to access foliage which they needed to survive.
The environmental pressure that could have caused the hooves to develop was the rough terrain, the need for protection or the easy access to valuable food sources.
BEHAVIOURAL ADAPTATION
Behavioral Adaption 1- Stayed quiet and still when sensed danger
The Stag-moose would stay quiet and still when they sensed danger was nearby. This helped them as they would be able to hide amongst the trees and when they were quiet their predator would have found it hard to locate them.
The reason this adaptation would have come about it because the moose needed a way to hide from predators instead of just running away from them. This option was easier and allowed them to save their energy for finding food and mating partners.
Behavioral Adaptation 2 -Protecting their young
The Stag-Moose was very protective of their young and the mothers would put themselves in danger to be able to keep their young alive. If they sensed danger they would become very aggressive and dangerous. Being protective of their young allowed their calves to grow and stay safe and keep the future generation safe and allowed the moose to live on. With the environment changing the Stag-Moose needed to protect their young from potential predators as if all young calves were killed the stag-moose would have quickly become extinct.
PYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION -
EXTINCTION PRESSURE
The Stag-Moose's extinction could have been pinpointed to the arrival of humans and the development of new diseases which also led to other mammals' extinction. Another contributor to the extinction of the Cervalces Scotti is that they were known to have lived through most of the Ice Age but never made it all the way which meant the species died out close to the end of the Ice Age.
When humans arrived they were known to hunt large animals as either a sign of protecting themselves or simply for food. This meant that the survival of Stag-Moose's would be limited and that they didn't stand a chance to avoid human contact, diseases or the inevitable environmental changes.
Modern Animal: Moose
Future Animal: Alces virtus
The modern day moose has evolved from a prehistoric animal known in Latin as Cervalces Scotti also commonly known as a Stag-Moose. The Stag-Moose became extinct approximately 11,500 years ago close to the end of the Ica Age and was discovered by humans around 1807. The Cervalces Scotti was known to have lived with the modern day moose and may have interacted with humans which could have led to its eventual extinction.
Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order:Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae
Genus: Cervalces
Species: Scotti
DIAGRAM
HABITAT
Unlike the modern day moose that lives across the world the Stag-Moose (Cervalces Scotti) was known to mainly live in Canada and North America. This meant they endured long and cold winters which most likely resulted in part of their extinction. As the Stag-Moose lived in one particular area they were all very similar in the way they looked and acted which meant they didn't have any sub-species.
Much like the modern day moose, the Stag-Moose frequently visited wetlands and areas with a high amount of foliage (as seen by the picture below). This meant they lived in an area with a large amount of trees and possibly a rainforest which meant there was frequent rainfall. This type of habitat allowed the Stag-Moose to have a good diet and not have to travel far to a river, well or even to find a mate.
ADAPTATIONS STRUCTURAL ADAPTATIONS
Structural Adaptation 1 - Antlers
Only a male Stag-Moose can grow antlers and they will always drop off during the winter time. The use of antlers gives them an advantage over a predator that poses a threat to their herd. The antlers can grow up to six feet in length and made the Stag-Moose appear bigger than it actually was. Some of the uses of the antlers are for defence and to attract a female moose to mate with them by fighting with another male moose.
The antlers could have arisen due to the fact that the moose needed to pull down trees and the only way in which they would be able to do that would be to have antlers that would assist them.
Structural Adaptation 2 - Hooves
Every species and gender of the Stag-Moose had hooves on each of their feet. Their hooves were very sharp and helped them to kick and expose foliage that may have been covered by snow etc. Their hooves were valuable because without them they might not have been able to access foliage which they needed to survive.
The environmental pressure that could have caused the hooves to develop was the rough terrain, the need for protection or the easy access to valuable food sources.
BEHAVIOURAL ADAPTATION
Behavioral Adaption 1- Stayed quiet and still when sensed danger
The Stag-moose would stay quiet and still when they sensed danger was nearby. This helped them as they would be able to hide amongst the trees and when they were quiet their predator would have found it hard to locate them.
The reason this adaptation would have come about it because the moose needed a way to hide from predators instead of just running away from them. This option was easier and allowed them to save their energy for finding food and mating partners.
Behavioral Adaptation 2 - Protecting their young
The Stag-Moose was very protective of their young and the mothers would put themselves in danger to be able to keep their young alive. If they sensed danger they would become very aggressive and dangerous. Being protective of their young allowed their calves to grow and stay safe and keep the future generation safe and allowed the moose to live on. With the environment changing the Stag-Moose needed to protect their young from potential predators as if all young calves were killed the stag-moose would have quickly become extinct.
PYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION -
EXTINCTION PRESSURE
The Stag-Moose's extinction could have been pinpointed to the arrival of humans and the development of new diseases which also led to other mammals' extinction. Another contributor to the extinction of the Cervalces Scotti is that they were known to have lived through most of the Ice Age but never made it all the way which meant the species died out close to the end of the Ice Age.
When humans arrived they were known to hunt large animals as either a sign of protecting themselves or simply for food. This meant that the survival of Stag-Moose's would be limited and that they didn't stand a chance to avoid human contact, diseases or the inevitable environmental changes.
Bibliography
Extinction Gallery. (2010).Cervalces Scotti. Retrieved 22nd June 2010, from http://www.petermaas.nl/extinct/gallery/faq.php#
Wikipedia. (2010). Stag-Moose. Retrieved 23rd June 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stag-moose
Cleveland.com. (2010). Dig up of Stag-Moose. Retrieved 23rd June 2010, from http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/10/scientists_dig_up_extinct_stag.html